The Great Identity Problem: A Chosen People
Over the last several weeks we have talked about identity. We are almost finished talking about identity, but there is one more New Testament passage that we will look at that is a declaration of identity. Today, we are going to be looking at 1 Peter 2.
In 1 Peter 2, Peter, also known as Cephas, speaks about who we are in Christ. In verses 7 and 8 Peter paints a portrait of what will happen for unbelievers. Peter is saying that they will be confronted with the reality that salvation can only come through Jesus.
Verses 9 and 10 contain a sudden shift in tone. Peter says, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” The bold font in these verses shows where Peter is quoting from the Old Testament.
Peter declares powerful statements about our identity. Do you remember what God says in Genesis 1? God creates mankind and says that we are “very good indeed.” But in Genesis 3, Adam and Eve reject God and they are faced with the consequences of their sin. Their fundamental reality has changed. No longer are they able to walk freely with God in the garden, instead, they are separated. Hope does not end there!
God sends Jesus to be a perfect sacrifice for mankind. Jesus lives a perfect life; a life completely free of sin, unlike any of us. After Jesus dies, he is buried in the tomb. On the third day, Jesus resurrects! In going to the cross and through the resurrection, we are freed from our sin and we are bought at a price; we are redeemed.
It is because of our redemption that we cannot be called, “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his possession,” and even being referred to as people who proclaim God’s praises! Peter is showing us that our redemption has changed our reality. Everything about us has changed. We are not defined by any other metric in the world or any other part of us. Instead of being defined by what we look like, or how we talk; we are now defined by God and what Jesus did for us! We know who we are and we also know whose we are. That knowledge is powerful. The entire reason there is an identity problem is because our world does not know who they are or whose they are! But we do. Let me encourage you; when you see someone around you struggling with identity, be quick to share some of these verses! Our world is searching for answers and we have the answer people so desperately want and need.
Practically, let me encourage you in this new paradigm that Jesus has established. If you do not know Jesus, then today cry out to Jesus and be saved! Knowing this new life is simple. Believe in Jesus and confess that with your mouth. If you do that today, let me encourage you to tell someone around you. Do not keep that to yourself; instead, tell a friend about how you are now, “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his possession,” and embrace that new reality.
Pastor Daniel